Ice Princess
by crystallizedflames
Summary: Kyoya/OC. Avarina de Montesque is a French exchange student/pastry chef extraordinaire whose parents are close to Kyoya's. Will the rest of the club break Avarina's 'Ice Princess' exterior, or will Kyoya be left behind, for the first time in his life?
1. The Ice Princess

**Hi! This story popped into my head while my friend and I (but mainly my friend) were staring at pictures of Kyoya. So this is dedicated to her, and the main OC was created with her in mind. So this is practically her dream life, because she **_**wishes **_**she was anime. Wouldn't life be so much better if we all were anime characters?**

**DISCLAIMER: I. DO. NOT. OWN. OHSHC. I swear I've said that indirectly and directly like **_**maybe **_**20 times. **

_The Ice Princess_

The first thing that crossed my mind when I entered Ouran Academy was _'Why is it pink?'_

Normally, I don't really pay attention to that sort of thing. When you've lived in thousands of different cities and gone to close to a million schools, colors don't really excite me. But I'd like to see you try walking into the gates of what was supposed to be the most prestigious academy Japan can offer, and find out that it's caked with pink.

I sighed, but continued through anyways. Heading up to the Headmaster's office, I passed by so many wealthy heirs and heiresses that I swear I lost more than a couple of brain cells. Their conversations all consisted of the same exact things.

Mainly, family, money, fashion, and family again. I already knew I wasn't going to like this school all that much.

I reached the Headmaster's door, and knocked. A loud "Come in," responded from inside.

I pushed open the door, and was ushered into a chair as soon as I entered.

"Welcome to Ouran Academy, Ms. Avarina de Montesque."

* * *

><p>I practically skipped out of Headmaster Suoh's office. For the first time since moving to Japan, I felt genuinely overjoyed.<p>

One of the main reasons for wanting to come to Ouran was that I loved to bake. Pastries especially. Ouran Academy had a famous cooking curriculum that was separate from the rest of the school. The students in the Patissiere Section, as it was called, wore different uniforms, and their class schedules consist mainly of focusing on which area of cooking and baking they want to excel in. It was an extremely hard section to get into, as you had to be extremely talented and dedicated to be accepted.

And I had gotten accepted to it.

I rushed down the hall, trying to contain my enthusiasm. I needed to get home so that I could prepare. Consumed by my thoughts of what the Patissiere Section would be like, I didn't see the tall, thin, dark-haired boy in my path.

"Oh! I'm sorry. Are you alright?" I accidentally knocked him down after I almost ran over him. Kneeling down, I helped him pick up his books, and a strange black clipboard that didn't seem like it belonged in school. The boy fixed his glasses, stood up, and offered me his hand.

I didn't take it. Chivalry annoys me to no end. I mean, some parts are okay, like holding open the door for someone, or things like having polite manners, but trying to help me up? Seriously? I'm not totally incapable.

Standing up by myself, I never once changed my expression. At my old schools I went to, I was always nicknamed the 'Ice Princess' because I rarely changed expression. Smiling for me was like a normal person laughing hysterically. I nodded at him, then started to walk away, slowing myself down so I wouldn't run into anybody else, but the boy grabbed my arm.

"Sir, do you want something from me?" I turned, and glared at him. I know that I accidentally ran into him, and I said I was sorry, but was grabbing my arm really necessary?

"You're Avarina de Montesque, aren't you?" He studied me with the look that scientists get when they're dissecting something.

"Yes, I am. Am I to guess that you're an Ootori?" Now that I saw him fully, I recognized him as one of Yoshio Ootori's sons. My father is a good friend of Ootori-san, which was one of the reasons why we moved here in the first place. While I had never specifically met any of his sons, I had met Fuyumi, his daughter, and the family resemblance between her and this boy was uncanny.

The boy seemed rather shocked that I recognized him. Did it really not happen that often? I mean, he was the son of a major businessman.

"Y-Yes." He seemed to give himself a mental shake before continuing. "I heard that you have been accepted here. Would I be given the pleasure of seeing you in class?" He leaned down to kiss my hand. I removed it from his grasp before he could.

"Sadly, no. I've just been accepted into the Patissiere Section. I'm very sorry, Ootori-sempai, but I must be going. _Adieu!"_ I gave a small wave, and speed walked down the corridor, hoping that he wouldn't follow me.

Fuyumi and I were good friends. I had met her while in France, where I was born. My family had gone back for a short stay, and she was there with her husband looking at vacation homes. She and I had many good times together, but she had to leave so that she could visit her family here in Japan. I still kept in contact with her, but we'd grown apart since because of all of the traveling that I had done.

As soon as I had reached the main gates, I started sprinting towards a black limo. Instead of getting in the back, though, I opened the door to the front, and slid into the passenger seat in the front, next to Franz, our driver. As I did so, I heard extremely loud whispers coming from the direction of the students walking into the gates.

Was I going to already have a reputation before I even _started _school?

Joy.

"_Bonjour _Franz!" I gave him a small smile as I sat down in the black leather seat.

"_Kon'nichiwa _Ms. Montesque." He replied, reminding me that we were in Japan, not France.

"Right. _Gomen ne._ It's just that, I'm missing France a little right now…"

"But Ms., our last trip was in Belgium, wasn't it?" Franz was now driving through the city, heading towards a secluded gated community.

"Yes, but even in Belgium, French is one of the main languages." I sighed. "I just miss Europe in general. When are we leaving?"

"Japan? I do believe that that is your parents' decision. Besides, aren't they here for a conference with Mr. Ootori? I hear he has a son close to your age."

"Yes, he does. I met him while coming back from the Headmaster's office. He seems…well, he's different, that's for sure. He knew my name, and I'm guessing he figured it would surprise me that he did. But knowing Fuyumi and how she talks about her brothers, I expected it. Mr. Ootori's sons know too much for their own good." I stared out the window as we passed by mansions and houses large enough to be castles.

"Well, I'm sorry to say this, but it seems you'll be getting much closer to Mr. Ootori's youngest son. They're our neighbors, you see." Franz pointed to a large white house, the front covered with glass windows with little trees decorating the entrance, a couple houses down from ours, a Tudor-styled mansion, with a small storybook garden in the front.

"Joy." I sighed as we turned into our driveway. As soon as we had parked, I thanked Franz, and walked inside. The empty house echoed my footsteps as I walked down the hallway, towards the backyard. No one was home. As always.

I slid off my shoes, and went upstairs to change. Getting out of the mustard dress, I replaced it with a pair of dark skinny jeans and a simple navy tank top. I pulled my long, white-blonde hair into a low pony-tail, and even then, it still reached past my waist. I ran outside, heading towards my favorite spot in our garden. A little area reserved especially for creating fairy gardens.

If you've never heard of a fairy garden, they're small gardens, like little replicas of real gardens. They're called fairy gardens because people used to think that fairies would come and rest in them, bringing you good luck and fortune if they did. At least, that's what my grandmother told me.

I set to work, finishing my latest creation. It was a small replica of our own garden in the front, with a little bench, and a cobblestone pathway around a small pond. Rosebushes decorated the surrounding area, forming a circle, and the entryway inside was a little ornate trellis, that had roses climbing up the sides. It was my favorite so far, and I added it to the collection that we had.

I went back inside, and dressed for baking. As I started to make a simple soufflé, I smiled.

Tomorrow was going to be a big day.

* * *

><p>As Franz drove me to school the next day, the butterflies in my stomach decided to have a merry-go-round ride. I adjusted my new uniform, a sailor-styled white shirt with gold stitching and the Ouran Academy crest on the top left over a white, pleated mini-skirt, also with gold stitching.<p>

Although it was way better than the normal girl uniform, personally, I though it made me look like a ghost. With my white-blonde hair, pale skin, and dark blue eyes, I was always considered a beauty, but I couldn't ever wear too much white, or else I looked like a supernatural being. Franz pulled up to the gates, and smiled at me. I gave him a teensy one back, took a deep breath, and stepped out of the car.

As I walked towards the Patissiere Section, I knew that almost everyone's eyes were on me. It's not every day that someone gets accepted into the prestigious pastry school. Their eyes and comments behind shielded hands were sort of annoying though. I knew by the end of the day, almost everyone will have heard about me. I wonder what reputation I'll have this time?

The second I stepped into the Patissiere Section, I was found by a girl my age with wavy black hair and chocolate brown eyes. She smiled at me.

"You must be the new student from France! Everyone's been talking about you. I know you probably don't want to hear that, but it's true." She shrugged. I smiled a bit.

"Actually, I just moved here from Belgium. But I was born in France, and spent most of my life there. And thanks for the notice, but I really don't care what people think of me. I just want to bake."

"Wow. Straight to the point, huh? I like that." She took my arm in hers and started to walk with me to the main hall. "My name's Koruko Mieux. You can call me Koko."

"Avarina de Montesque." I said, keeping pace with her fast walking. "I'm just…Avarina."

"I have a feeling we're going to become good friends." She smiled at me, then stopped in front of a list outside of my classroom. "It looks like I'm in your class! And I'm your partner! Wow." She twirled toward me, her smile had a tint of evil in it. "Thought you should know, Avarina, but the people around here nicknamed me Chocolat because of my cooking abilities and my looks. Since you're my friend, expect to be given a nickname too. Ok?"

I nodded, but I had a feeling that she would come up with my nickname and spread it around school. I liked this girl.

During class, the teacher told us to make a cake that represented who we were. It was a strange request, but Koko and I teamed up and helped each other make their cakes. She made a Blanc et Noir, while I made a White Amaretto cake. We both smiled at each other when we say the other's choice.

"We really are different aren't we?" She said.

"I guess so. Opposites attract, huh?" I gave her a little bigger smile.

"Definitely." She gave me a huge one back.

Koko's Blanc et Noir was beautiful, with a large white chocolate curl decorating the top. I had made my White Amaretto cake in a hemisphere shape, with a white icing rose at the top. The dome was decorated in white icing with small but elongated white and dark blue swirls.

"We need a team name." Koko studied my cake, while I studied hers.

"Why?"

"They make it more fun. Since my nickname's Chocolat, you should be Vanilla. So, Vanilla, what do you suggest our team name be?"

"Checkerboard?"

Koko glanced at me, then started laughing. I smiled, and shrugged. "I'm not good with team names."

"Nope, you certainly aren't."

Afterwards, our teacher let us taste everyone's cakes. Koko and mine were the most popular. My favorite was a girl named Maron's New York style cheesecake. It was very simple and plain, but I thought that the taste was amazing.

"Did you make this, Chocolat?"

"Who made the Amaretto? It's delicious!"

"I love the rose!"

One by one, the rest of the class showered both of our cakes with compliments. By the end of the day, my nickname, Vanilla, was being used as if it was my real one.

* * *

><p>The rest of the week flew by, with different tests from our teacher each day. I learned how to bake Chocolat's Blanc et Noir, as well as many others.<p>

But then….

"So, Avarina, have you chosen your club yet?"

"Club?" I turned towards her. We had been walking towards the gate leading towards the main school when Koko had thrown the question out.

She whirled around to face me. "Don't you 'club?' me. I swear I told you about it."

I shook my head. "You've never mentioned anything about clubs."

"Prove it."

"How can I prove that you didn't say anything?"

"Good point. I wonder if I recorded it…"

"You _record _things?"

"Oh yeah, all the time. It's great for blackmailing." She gave me an evil smile.

"I'm going to watch what I say around you now."

"Nah, but seriously. I didn't tell you?"

"Nope."

"Oh, well, I can't really tell the Headmaster to give you an extension, so let's go now. There might be some left."

"Extension? Left? What are you talking about, Koko?" I started yelling as she started dragging me to a little garden area in the middle of the school.

"Yes! There's one left!" Koko raced over, and plucked a little piece of paper off of a large corkboard in the middle of the garden.

"What exactly are you doing?"

"Finding you a club. Looks like you'll be a pastry chef for," Koko cringed. "a Host Club. Omigosh, I'm so sorry." She held the piece of paper out for me as if it was a piece of trash. I took it, and read it.

"So? It's a Host Club."

"You don't understand. Everyone here refuses to work for the Host Club. They distract you from your work, and you're always forced to dress up. It's horrible." She shivered as if a sudden chill had come over her, although it was about 80 degrees out. "If I hadn't forgotten to tell you, then you wouldn't be in this predicament right now. I'm sorry, I'm sorry, I'm sorry…"

Koko kept bowing over and over until I made her stop.

"It's okay, I think. Umm, but what exactly is this? You never explained." I waved the piece of paper in her face, which was blank of expression.

"I didn't?"

I sighed. "No. You didn't. Care to explain?"

She nodded. "Okay. Every student in the Patissiere Section has to be assigned to a club in which they work in. The school committee thinks it 'helps our social skills with the other students' because we're segregated. I'm part of the Etiquette Club." She said this with a sense of pride, like the Etiquette Club was soooo important.

"So now I have to make pastries for a Host Club?" I glanced at the paper again. Koko sighed dejectedly, and put an arm around my shoulder.

"Sadly, yes. Now let's go home and make some Café a la Crème." She immediately bounded back from her depression and grabbed my hand so she could drag me to the car.

Great. She makes it sound like I'm about to become a slave.

Well, maybe I was. I'd never seen a Host Club before. I didn't even know what it was.

Guess I'd find out tomorrow. Wonderful.


	2. Breaking the Ice

**WOW. I got so many reviews for the first chapter. I'M SO HAPPY! I love it when I get reviews. For those of you new to my stories, I always put my chapters with one person's POV then next chapter another's. Confusing, I know. You'll see. **

** This chapter is Kyoya's POV. **

**DISCLAIMER: You know what I own? My life. That's pretty much it. And even then, my parents' have almost complete control. So I guess I really don't own anything…. **

_Apparently, It's Hard to Break Ice _

"Kyo-chan, when are we getting sweets again? Ousa-chan is hungry." Honey gazed up at me with tears appearing at the edges of his huge blue eyes.

"I told you, Honey-sempai. I put a request in at the culinary school here, but no one's applied so far. Those sweets we used to get had traces of lead in them, so I can't trust the marketers anymore. I don't want any unfortunate accidents here in the club." I sighed, and jotted down another note in my clipboard.

_Check message board at Patissiere Section to see if any students applied. _

"Awww." Honey pouted. "I hope someone applies soon. Ousa-chan and I can't go without sweets much longer. Right, Ousa-chan?" Honey hugged his stuffed bunny, and ran off to join Mori-sempai.

"Kyoya-sempai, are you sure that someone will even apply? You know how much the students in that section loathe us." Haruhi came up next to me, with Tamaki fussing over her. We didn't have any customers today, so Tamaki could be with her all he wanted. Which wasn't a very good thing for Haruhi, even if they were dating.

"I'm sure. Some new students just transferred in, so I'm hoping that one of them will take up the position." I adjusted my glasses, and flipped in my clipboard to the page labeled 'Patissiere School Student Selection.' On it was a number of students whom had just transferred into it, along with how many were girls and how many were guys. Names, however, were not listed.

A knock interrupted my thoughts. Tamaki walked over, and opened the doors leading into the room. Outside stood a girl with knee-length white-blonde hair and large, dark blue eyes with dark thick eyelashes. Her skin was extremely pale, almost blending in with the white Patissiere Section uniform that she wore. She carried a scrap of paper and her schoolbag, which looked more like a designer bag than something you took to school.

"Excuse me?" She asked, stepping in before Tamaki could get into his 'Host Club' mode. "I'm here for the pastry chef job?"

Honey immediately leapt at her. "It's open! It's open! Here, I'll show you the kitchen! What's your name? I'm Honey!"

I saw her eyes soften, but no smile appeared on her face. "I'm Avarina. Avarina de Montesque. I'm new here."

Honey smiled a big smile at her. "Really? Then I'll show you around too! Come on! Come on! When we get to the kitchen, you have to bake me your favorite sweet, okay?" Honey, still babbling on, took Avarina's slim hand, and led her to the door marked 'Kitchen.' I have a feeling she would've been able to find it on her own.

"Hey Honey! I want to show Avarina around too!" Hikaru ran after them.

"Besides, she hasn't even met the rest of us yet!" Kaoru followed suit.

I sighed, and pushed my glasses up again. The dammed things kept falling down. Avarina de Montesque, huh? Sounded familiar. Had I met her somewhere?

Then it hit me. That day in the hallway, when I saw her running down the hallway, and she had bumped into me. She had surprised me with knowing that I was an Ootori. Normally I'm the one who realizes things like that. The funny thing was that she had shown barely any expression throughout our whole conversation.

Maybe I just wasn't used to people like her. I think I've been hanging out with Tamaki too much.

"Kyo-chan! Kyo-chan! Look what Rina-chan made me!" Honey held out a small rectangular cake with layers of alternating pastry and crème. On top was a white and dark chocolate icing design, and sugared strawberries decorated the plate. All in all, the presentation of it was amazing.

"What is it, Honey-sempai?" I asked, taking the plate and turning it around for a better view.

"It's called a Napoleon, or the more professional term is a Mille-feuille. It's one of my favorites." Avarina came out of the kitchen, wearing a dark blue apron. Her long hair was tied up into a low ponytail, although even so it still reached her waist. "How do you like it?"

Honey handed me a fork, and I took a bite. Almost immediately I was whisked away in a world filled with pastry crème and puff pastry. The strawberry gave the crunchiness of the puff pastry and the smoothness of the crème a new flavor that complimented it very well. I could almost taste how much she enjoyed making it.

"It's...It's…amazing." I finished, my eyes wide with shock. Who knew sweets could be this good.

"Isn't it? I think Napoleons are my new favorite sweet. Rina-chan, do you have any more sweets that you like?" Honey looked up at the girl with huge adoring eyes.

"Well, I do, but I'll save those for when you guys are in business." Avarina took the empty plate that had once carried the Napoleon, and left for the kitchen. "I'll be in here getting used to the equipment. Please don't disturb me."

The second she had left, Tamaki formed a group circle with all of us. I stayed out of it. Flipping to Avarina's page in my notebook, I wrote '_Favorite sweet: Napoleon, or Mille-feuille.' _

"Haruhi, since we can trust Avarina, I want you to tell her you're a girl, alright?" Tamaki took her by the shoulders. "Then you and her can spend time together, and reveal your inner femininess!"

"Umm, Boss-" Hikaru interrupted.

"I don't think that 'femininess' is a word." Kaoru finished.

"IT IS TOO A WORD! DADDY SAID IT SO IT WILL BE A WORD! KYOYA WRITE THAT DOWN!" Tamaki began one of his rants, but Haruhi stepped in.

"But, Tamaki-senpai, didn't you see? Avarina already knows I'm a girl." Haruhi sighed. Avarina must've been pretty subtle, because even I didn't notice her do anything that proved she knew Haruhi was a girl.

"WHAT? WHEN DID THIS HAPPEN!" Tamaki started freaking out and dancing around. "MOMMY! MAKE HER TELL ME!"

"'Mommy,' huh? Great nickname. I think I'll call you that now." Avarina appeared at the door of the kitchen, a slight smirk on her face. For some reason, I felt my face turn a little red. Why was I blushing?

"It's-" Hikaru began my line, noticing that I was otherwise occupied trying to think cool thoughts to stop my face getting redder.

"-based on club positions." Kaoru finished, also noticing my predicament.

"Tamaki and Kyoya both started the club, so they get the leading positions." Dammit, even Haruhi noticed.

"Right. Well, I just came out to ask who likes Crème Brulee, because I'm going to make at to test out some of the equipment. I just want to know how much I should make."

"Well, Honey can eat a whole cake store in a night, so I'd make a lot if I were you…" Kaoru glanced at Honey, whose eyes were dancing with images of the custard dish.

"Okay…Well, I'll be back." She turned and disappeared back into the kitchen. As soon as she was gone, Hikaru and Kaoru came running over to me.

"Why did you freeze up like that? She might be a little cold and doesn't seem to like showing expression, but seriously? She's not an Ice Queen." Kaoru stared at me suspiciously as he talked to me.

Hikaru butted in. "Actually, I tend to disagree with that. She really does give me that impression." He shivered. "I can already feel her icy aura flowing over here and freezing us to death."

"Hikaru, she's not that bad."

"Why? Have a crush?"

"N-No. What makes you say that?"

"Kaoru has a girlfriend! Kaoru has a girlfriend!"

"I DO NOT!"

"Break it up, you two." I pushed in between them, glaring at them. Immediately, they stopped fighting.

"You know what? I think we should give her a nickname. Like Ice. Or Cold. Or Evil. Or Kyoya's Counterpart. Or-"

"You can shut up now, Hikaru."

"Right."

"So, what exactly do we need a pastry chef for? I thought we imported all of our sweets." Sometimes, I really loved Haruhi. She always knew how to break out of an awkward silence.

"At first, yes, we did. But Honey-sempai seemed to like it more when we had homemade sweets, because then they came from straight out of the oven. It also costs less. So I decided to go with it."

Haruhi nodded. "I see. So, um, why do you like Avarina?"

Blood filled my face. I coughed a bit, and straightened my tie before speaking. "Ms. Montesque is only our pastry chef. She's nothing more to me."

"Really?" Hikaru smiled mischievously at me. He and Kaoru gave each other a look. Oh great.

Avarina came out of the kitchen at that moment. "The Crème Brulee is done. I couldn't find the torch, so it's really more of a-" Right then as she was walking towards us, Hikaru stuck out a foot, and Avarina tripped over it, landing on me.

Neither of us screamed, it was more of a gasp that came out. I caught her before we hit the floor, covering her protectively. We hit the floor, and a strangled gasp escaped my lips as my back hit the cold marble. It was slight, but from the look in Avarina's eyes, she heard it.

"Are you okay?" I sat her up, and checked her over, making sure she didn't bruise anything. She waved me off.

"I'm the one who should be asking you that." Her mouth twitched in to what was almost a concerned look, but it disappeared before I could make sure. I just smiled at her.

"It's no problem." Dusting myself off, I offered her a hand. It reminded me of the time when she had fallen into me for a first time. I smiled, despite myself. "This sort of thing just seems to keep happening to us, huh?"

Again, her mouth twitched. Again, the little smile that could've been there disappeared. "It does, doesn't it?" This time, she accepted my hand, and I pulled her to her feet. She pretended to stumble a bit, and fell into me a little. As she did so, she whispered in my ear.

"Are you sure you're okay? You hit the ground pretty hard."

It shocked me a little, but I nodded slightly, and gave her a reassuring glance. "I'm fine." I murmured.

She pushed away from me, and waved away the hands that were offered to her. Mainly Kaoru's and Hikaru's. "I'm fine, I swear. I just tripped."

I knew my face was heating up, so I kept my head down in my notebook.

What the heck is wrong with me?

* * *

><p>I collapsed onto the couch in my house after school. I sighed loudly.<p>

"I'm pretty sure the neighbors across the street heard that sigh. What's wrong?" Fuyuumi came walking in. In her hands she held a card.

I thought for a second. Should I tell her? Well, she _was _my sister. "There's this girl…"

Fuyuumi freaked out. "OMIGODS! REALLY?" She practically jumped on the couch next to me. "TELL ME TELL ME TELL ME! Oh wow, Kyoya, your first crush. Oh this is so EXCITING! Who is it? What does she look like? How did you meet her? Have you guys kiss-"

I held up a hand, and gave Fuyuumi a smile. "I'm not sure whether I like her or not."

"Who is it?" Fuyuumi could barely contain herself. She was literally making the couch vibrate with her enthusiasm.

"Well, erm, her name's Avarina de-"

"AVARINA DE MONTESQUE?"

"Yeah, how did you know?"

"Oh that's so cute! My little brother is in love with one of my friends!" She grabbed me and pulled me into a hug, rocking me back and forth.

"I'm not in love with her!" I said, breaking out of her death hug.

She seemed disappointed that I had. "Avarina was my friend in France. She and I met when my husband and I were looking for a vacation home there. I had to leave her when I came back to Japan to visit you and the rest of our family, around the time when you were just meeting Tamaki Suoh. She was very sweet, and was always smiling at people. To this day I still haven't met anyone who can make a chocolate éclair as well as her. She made one for me with her eyes closed, and she was only a year younger than you were!" Fuyuumi sighed sadly.

"But then something tragic happened. She never told me what, but afterwards, gone were the carefree smiles she used to have and she only baked sweets if she needed to. I felt bad about leaving her behind, but I had too."

I let the news sink in. Was that why she was always so cold and stoic towards everyone? Did something happen to her? Or one of her family members? However, as I thought about this, a grin sprang up on Fuyuumi's face.

"Kyoya! I actually was just coming in to tell you! A friend and business partner of Father's just came to Japan to meet with him. He's living just across the street from us. And guess who his daughter is?" She sang the last part. My eyes widened as I realized.

"Crap. You're not seriously thinking…"

"And I was just about to go give them a 'Welcome to the Neighborhood!' present! Why don't you come along?" She smiled brilliantly at me. I couldn't say no to her.

"Don't embarrass me, okay?"

"YAY!" She grabbed my arm, and started pulling me to the door. Then she realized I was still in my school uniform. "Nuh-uh. That won't do. Go upstairs and change." She pushed me to the stairs and waited while I went up to change. Fuyuumi could act like a kid sometimes, but at others, she was like a mother to me.

And most of the time, not in the good way.

* * *

><p>With Fuyuumi finally satisfied with my clothes, we walked over to Avarina's house. Surprisingly, I liked it. The way it felt like stepping into a fairy-tale with a modern touch was slightly refreshing to me.<p>

Fuyuumi knocked on the door, holding her basket of cakes and other goodies in her other hand. A little sign protruded from it with "Welcome Newest Neighbor!" written on it.

"Hello? Avarina? Mr. de Montesque?" Fuyuumi knocked again, a little harder this time. I heard some faint footsteps, then a voice.

"Sorry! One second, I'm coming!" The door opened soon after to reveal a totally completely reverse Avarina from the one I'd seen at school.

Her pale cheeks were flushed with a bit of soft pink, and her dark blue eyes sparkled a bit. A dark blue bandana pulled her bangs back from her face, and her ghostly hair was pulled back into a low ponytail. She was wearing an oversized T-shirt tied back with a hairband and skinny jeans.

She saw Fuyuumi first, and a smile burst across her face. It was the first time I had actually seen her smile. At anyone.

"Fuyuumi! How are you! I haven't seen you in forever!" She and Fuyuumi embraced, and they were both beaming at each other. In other words, I felt like a third wheel.

"I'm great, but you look better! Here, I brought these for you!" She held out the basket. Avarina took it, and motioned inside.

"Come in, both of you!" She turned towards me and smiled.

That's right. _She smiled at me. _

Normally, I wouldn't be freaking out. I mean, girls smile at me all the time. The difference with her was that she looked _so frickin' gorgeous _when she did.

A minute later, we were sitting at the bar in Avarina's kitchen, eating the cakes and pastries my sister had brought. Fuyuumi and Avarina were catching up on things, and I was just sitting there, gazing at her house.

_Hmm…White leather…a bit impractical, but it looks nice…. _

"Kyoya-sempai?"

_What a beautiful vase…it looks like it's from the Renaissance Period…interesting…_

"Kyoya?"

_Look at that dark-wooded bookshelf…it's amazing. And all those books…Wonder if she'll let me borrow some…_

"KYOYA!" Avarina interrupted my inspection of her living room. Her face was right in front of mine, and I felt blood begin to rush to my face. Again.

"Y-Yes?" I turned away so she wouldn't see. Dammit, what was wrong with me!

"Well, Avarina and I were wondering if you'd want to come with us to see her garden."

"I was just working on it when you got here. It's really beautiful. Come with us?" Avarina extended a hand, her long, thin fingers fitting together perfectly, like puzzle pieces.

I took it.

"Sure." I smiled at her. She smiled back.

It made me wonder who the real Avarina really was.

This one, or the one at school.

I hoped with my whole heart that it was this one, because she was really making my day.


	3. Dinner, with a kiss

**I FINSIHED THE SECOND CHAPTER! AND I SPELLED FINISHED WRONG! **

**I wonder if you guys even noticed until I pointed it out….HA. oh well.**

**Don't you love finding spelling mistakes in published books? They make me feel like I'm not the only one who makes mistakes. Even published authors do. **

**So I got GREAT reviews for ch. 2. I always get really excited when I get reviews. Like yesterday, my stepsister and I were dancing around to random songs when I got a review. **

**THAT's how excited I get. I dance around. IN MY PJS. Hahahaha. **

**Just a side note: I don't know what Fuyuumi's age is, so I'm just guessing she's 21. You know, young enough to still have a slightly innocent mind, but old enough to be married.**

**DISCLAIMER: I just told you that I dance around in my PJS. You seriously think I own OHSHC? Well, I'm not going to be the one to kill your dreams then….**

_Dinner, with a kiss_

Coming home, I changed immediately into my gardening outfit. Gardening always helped calm my nerves. Not to mention it gave me ideas for decorating.

Outside, I found my roses were beginning to wither.

"Dang it." I started to pour some fertilizer on them. "I hope that helps."

Knowing how horrible my green thumb was, it probably wouldn't.

I started to water my plants. I had all kinds in my garden, although there were mainly flowers. I had created my flower garden when we moved in. At first, there was only a little, intricate wooden bench underneath a willow tree, in front of a few roses, but I added a lot more- tulips, orchids, a cherry blossom tree- so now it was a wooden bench underneath a willow tree with a cherry blossom tree to give the person some privacy, blocking the view of them if you were standing on the porch. Different flowers created a large open circle where the bench was and a cobblestone pathway led to it.

My garden was my favorite place to sit and think of new ideas for sweets or designs for already made ones.

While in the middle of tearing weeds out of the soil near my tulips, I heard a loud knock echo from inside the house. Tearing off my gloves, I started running to the house. You couldn't hear well from the garden, so I didn't know how long the person had been waiting there. I hoped not too long.

Throwing the door open, I came face to face with Fuyuumi. Squealing, I hugged her. " Fuyuumi! How are you! I haven't seen you in forever!"

I noticed Kyoya out of the corner of my eye. Crap. He saw me smile. Hopefully he wouldn't tell Tamaki.

Well, I might as well just let him see. I mean, it's not like he's in love with me or anything.

"I'm great, but you look better! Here, I brought these for you!" Fuyuumi held out the basket full of sweets. I knew that she knew that I could always just make them myself, but considering there was a cheesy sign saying "Welcome Newest Neighbor!" in the basket, she was probably just doing it for an excuse to come over to say hi.

"Come in, both of you!" I turned and smiled at Kyoya. I saw his eyes widen. Was it really that big of a deal? I mean, I wasn't an emotionless robot. I could be happy sometimes.

Either that, or gardening made me high.

* * *

><p>I'm gonna skip ahead, considering what Fuyuumi and I talked about was quite boring for someone who didn't care. Like Kyoya.<p>

"Kyoya-sempai?" I nudged him with my finger. His dazed look still hadn't vacated his face.

"Kyoya?" Fuyuumi tried this time, but no response for her either.

I put face directly in his line of sight, making sure I was uncomfortably close to him. "KYOYA!" I yelled in his face, and sure enough, that dreamy look of his vanished in a second.

"Y-Yes?" He turned his head away from mine.

Fuyuumi stepped in. "Well, Avarina and I were wondering if you'd want to come with us to see her garden."

"I was just working on it when you got here. It's really beautiful. Come with us?" I offered him my hand. He began staring at it intently. I could tell he was seriously considering NOT going with us.

To my surprise, he took it.

He had _really _soft hands. I folded my fingers over it.

"Sure." He said, giving me a smile. I smiled back. I hadn't ever really seen Kyoya's smile before. I mean, he smiled at me when I fell into him (for the second time…), but this one was different. It actually _looked _like a legitimate smile. Like he was truly happy to go see my garden with me and Fuyuumi.

I felt my heart flutter a bit. He looked so handsome when he smiled. Now I knew why he was in a Host Club.

"Let's go, then!" Still holding his hand, I motioned for Fuyuumi to follow us, and I dragged Kyoya outside.

* * *

><p>"Oh wow…this is amazing, Avarina!" Fuyuumi started walking around the garden, exclaiming in delight at every flower. "Look! This one's blue!"<p>

I smiled. Fuyuumi was so naïve. It's like she was a six-year-old stuck in a twenty-one-year-old's body.

Kyoya coughed from behind me. I turned. "Yeah?"

"Not that I'm not enjoying it, but why are you still holding my hand?" I glanced down at our fingers intertwined with each other. My face blushed as I removed mine from his. He glanced up at me.

"I didn't mean to embarrass you." Dam him. He noticed.

"Naw, it's okay. I mean, your hand is just really soft, that's all." I started to walk away, but Kyoya grabbed my arm.

"It's fine. Yours is too." He smiled, and twined his fingers through mine again. I smiled. Maybe Kyoya did have a nicer side to him.

I sat on the bench and so did he, and together we watched Fuyuumi exclaim over every little thing. I felt him turn around and see the rosebushes.

"What happened to them?" He nodded towards the poor dying plants.

I shrugged. "I'm not really sure. They were fine when we moved here, and they've been getting better since I've been taking care of them, but now they're wilting."

Kyoya took his hand out of mine, and went over to inspect them. After a bit, I came up behind him. "Do you know what's wrong?"

He shook his head. "It's the strangest thing. Everything points to them being perfect. The soils good, you've watered them well, they're getting a lot of sunlight. But for some reason, they're not."

I sighed. "Well maybe I'll call a gardener or something. They'll probably know."

He nodded in agreement. Standing up, he took my hand in his again.

Did I mention how amazingly _soft _his hands were?

"Well, Avarina," He smiled at me. "Can you give me a tour of your garden?"

I smiled back, and nodded. This guy was starting to grow on me.

* * *

><p>After I gave both Fuyuumi and Kyoya a tour of the garden, we went back inside to eat more out of Fuyuumi's goodie basket. This time, Kyoya kept in on the conversation.<p>

"So, Avarina," Fuyuumi started, glancing slyly at me. "Kyoya tells me that you work in his Host Club now." I glanced over at Kyoya and the look on his face told me otherwise.

"Yeah, I am. I've only gone one day though, and that was today." I turned back to Fuyuumi, nursing a cup of coffee.

"Really? Have you met Tamaki-chan?"

I nodded. "He sure is…something…"

"And Honey and Mori?"

"Yep. Honey is so adorable, and Mori's pretty quiet…"

"Ooh! What about the twins and Haruhi?"

I laughed. "Fuyuumi! It was my first day, I'm not going to give you updates on everyone."

"So…you haven't met them?"

"No, I've met them. Kaoru seems really sweet, but his twin, Hikaru is little darker. And Haruhi is really nice. She's very open with a lot of things."

"So…you know she's a girl?"

"Yeah, of course. Why, are there people who don't?" I stared blankly at Fuyuumi, who just sighed and mumbled, "You're so blind…"

Kyoya coughed. Both Fuyuumi and I looked at him. "I don't mean to intrude, but Fuyuumi, Father just called and he wants us home for dinner soon."

Fuyuumi jumped up. "Oh, of course! I completely lost track of the time. I'll come visit you later, all right Avarina?"

I smiled. "Sure. But instead of going back, do you both want to just have dinner here?"

They both glanced at each other. Ugh. I hate sibling silent conversations. They make me feel left out.

"Are you sure your parents are okay with it?" Kyoya asked. I grimaced at the word 'parents.' That's what everyone thought of them, eh? Well, I'm not going to stomp on his fantasies.

"Papa never comes home, and Sarina is almost always with him, so she won't be home either. It's just me. Besides, I could use the company."

I saw them exchange looks again. I guess it made them uneasy that I called my 'mother' by her first name.

"Sure, I guess it couldn't hurt. Kyoya, would you call Father and tell him? I doubt he'd object. You are the daughter of one of his best friends after all." She smiled at me. Kyoya whipped out his phone, and left the room to talk to his father.

The second he left, Fuyuumi grabbed a seat beside me. "Avarina, can I ask you a question?"

"I don't like that glint in your eyes."

"Just promise me you'll tell the truth, the absolute truth, and nothing but the truth."

"Where are we, a courtroom?"

"Avarina!"

"Fine, fine," I raised my right hand. "I swear to tell the whole truth, the absolute truth, and nothing but the truth. Do you have anything I can swear that on? A Bible maybe?"

Fuyuumi huffed. It was fun to make life difficult for her. "Geez, stop being such a smart mouth. Okay, here's the question: Which one of the Hosts do you like best?"

I started laughing. "THAT'S your question? What kind of question is that?"

"Just shut up and answer it!"

I stopped laughing to consider the question. "Hmm…well…I guess Haruhi and Honey are out of the picture…Haruhi's a girl, and Honey's cute, but he's too short for me….Hikaru's gone too…he's too creepy…and Tamaki's DEFINITELY out. He's just annoying…..so I guess that leaves Kyoya, Kaoru, and Mori."

"You like THREE?"

"You never said I had to pick just one."

"True, true. All right. But what was with all the hand holding in the garden?"

I waggled my finger at her. "Uh-uh-uhh. You said ONE question. You've just used it up, my dear."

Fuyuumi was about to respond when Kyoya walked back in. "He says its fine, but only if we pay. He doesn't want us to take full advantage of you."

I smiled. "That's nice of him. I didn't realize you guys eat out. Well, where do you two want to go? I don't know of many places."

They glanced at each other. Yay, more silent conversations that I'm not part of.

"Avarina, go get changed. Wear something formal. We'll meet you outside of your house in an hour." Fuyuumi grabbed Kyoya, and they left.

She's got something up her sleeve, I just know it.

* * *

><p>47 minutes later, I was waiting outside of my house wearing a dark purple strapless floor-length dress with a small train. It had a few gems at the top, which I had accentuated with a dark purple choker with gems on it that were the same. Around my shoulders was a black fur cover, and my white-blonde hair was piled atop my head in an intricate bun. Two strands fell on both sides of my face.<p>

A couple minutes later, a black limousine pulled up to the house. The driver hopped out, and opened the back door for me. I thanked him, and slid inside. Fuyuumi and Kyoya were there, both wearing formal evening wear.

Fuyuumi had on a dark green long-sleeved gown, although the sleeves didn't reach her shoulders, making it look like she was only wearing long gloves. It, too, was floor-length, and her dark brown hair was put up in a low bun.

When I saw Kyoya, my heart almost stopped beating. From the way he was looking at me, it seemed like the same thing had happened to him.

He wore a black suit and tie with black slacks and black dress shoes. Nothing out of the ordinary, except that he looked so amazing in it.

"Umm, wow, Avarina, you look…beautiful." He sat gaping at me.

"Oh, um, thanks. You look…really nice. So do you, Fuyuumi." What else was I supposed to say? 'You look frickin' hot in a suit?' Nope.

Fuyuumi smiled. "We're going to a very high class restaurant, hence the formal attire. It's called _Ambrosia._ I'm sure you'll like it."

"Sounds fancy. What food does it serve?"

"Greek."

"Really? I love Greek food." We sat in the limousine while the driver took us there, talking most of the time.

"Excuse me, Sir, but we are here." The driver stopped the car, and opened the door for us. Fuyuumi left first, then Kyoya. I stepped out last only to find that instead of the driver helping me out, it was Kyoya. I thanked the driver, and Kyoya offered me his arm.

"What are you doing?" I knew what he was doing, obviously, but why was he doing it?

"You need an escort."

"Why can't you be Fuyuumi's escort."

"Fuyuumi has a husband."

"So I need an escort because I'm single?"

"Do you _want_ a 50-year-old man with a beer belly to hit on you?"

I took his arm.

Fuyuumi led us both inside, and a hostess came over to seat us. She smiled politely at the two Ootoris. "Welcome. We've already saved you a table. If you would please follow me."

She led us over to a table on the balcony, overlooking the city lights. It was extremely beautiful. What wasn't beautiful was the way people kept staring at Kyoya and I.

"Look at that gorgeous girl! I wonder if she's the youngest Ootori's fiancé."

"Oh dear, she wouldn't be his fiancé. They're far too young for that. Girlfriend, maybe."

"She's so beautiful. He sure is lucky. He'd better hold tight to her, or else someone else will grab her. I do hope they get married. They look like the perfect couple."

Did they think I was deaf?

Although, those were some nice compliments. I could tell Kyoya heard them too, because he tightened his grip on my arm, pulling me closer to him.

"Here's your table." A waiter came by and pulled out Fuyuumi's chair for her. He came over to me to do the same, but Kyoya waved him away. Instead, Kyoya pulled my chair out for me.

"Thank you." I smiled, and sat down across from Fuyuumi with Kyoya in between us.

"You're welcome." Kyoya bowed slightly. You know how I said that I hated chivalry?

He just reminded me of it. Bowing is such a waste of time, but I humored him, and nodded back.

Dinner was delicious, although halfway through the main course I started shivering. It was getting really cold outside.

"Avarina, are you okay?" Fuyuumi asked, her face full of concern. She had put on a black fur lined jacket. All I had was my fur cover, and it wasn't helping right now.

I smiled. "I'm fine. Don't worry about me."

"Idiot." Kyoya placed his chair next to mine and pulled me to his chest. "If you're going to freeze to death, at least tell us."

"I'm going to go freshen up. I'll be right back." Fuyuumi exited her seat, and made her way to the restroom on the other side of the restaurant.

Kyoya and I sat in silence for a while. I felt myself getting sleepier. Kyoya was really warm…

"Avarina?"

"Mmhmm?" I snuggled deeper into his jacket.

"Why don't you smile like this at school?"

I glanced up at Kyoya's concerned face. Was he really worried about me?

"I just don't. There's nothing to smile at at school. Besides, I have a reputation to maintain."

"Which is?"

"The Ice Princess." I bit back a yawn.

Kyoya sighed. "You look ten times more beautiful when you smile, Avarina. You should do it more often."

His statement sent a mini shock through my veins. He thought I was beautiful when I smiled? Really?

"How about-" I yawned. I didn't have the willpower to hold it back. "I'll only smile around certain people. You can be one of them."

"Fine."

Fuyuumi came back, and we finished the last course. The second we were back in the limo, I rested my head on Kyoya's shoulder, and fell asleep.

When he woke me up to drop me back off at my house, I found that he had put his arms around my waist and had already undone my hair from its bun.

"Thank you both for the dinner. It was really fantastic." I gave Fuyuumi an air kiss and a hug. "Come visit again sometime." Without realizing what I was doing, I gave Kyoya a kiss on the cheek.

"Goodnight."

Kyoya was silent for a second, then he took my face and planted a short kiss on my lips. "Goodnight, Avarina."

With that, they got back into their limo, and I waved as they left. I was still standing outside a minute more as what had just happened finally made sense to me.

_Kyoya just gave me my first kiss. _

Thank goodness tomorrow was the weekend.


End file.
